Sep 7 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has given the nod to award cash prizes to the two SL athletes who clinched a Gold and a Bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. The proposal was tabled by the Minister of Sports and Youth Namal Rajapaksa, Department of Govt Information said. Dinesh Priyantha Herath, who set a new world record in the Men�s Javelin Throw - F46 � event with a distance of 67.79 meters, made history by winning SL�s first ever gold medal at the Paralympic Games. more..

Sep 8 (DM) Two days ago, on September 6, Sri Lanka�s most popular singer and entertainer par excellence � Sunil Perera - leader of the �Gypsies� passed away. A terrible shock and huge blow not only to the entertainment world in the country, but also to the country as a whole. The legendary performer had earlier last month, been diagnosed with the dreaded coronavirus. The country breathed a collective sigh of relief when it was reported he had recovered and was sent home. more..

Sep 8 (DM) Last week I spoke with two trusted colleagues. It felt like I was talking to the same person in time lapse mode. One of them was in Kabul, Afghanistan and the other was in Yangon, Myanmar. My friend in Myanmar was foreshadowing what was likely to happen in Afghanistan. Both countries have gone through tremendous upheavals this year. One may be hard pressed than the other. But the feeling of betrayal is unequivocal. My friend in Kabul was talking about the sharks more..

Sep 8 (CT) There has been a persistent outcry from environmentalists against the circular 02/2021 issued by the Secretary to the Ministry of Land to demarcate State lands on the basis that the implementation of this circular would result in over 500,000 hectares of forest land being at risk. According to the circular, Secretary to the Ministry of Land vests authority in District and Divisional Secretariats to take into its custody more..

Sep 8 (TM) Al Jazeera published an article titled Sri Lanka declares food emergency as forex crisis worsens on 31 August, in which the Qatar-based global news provider had compiled a report on Sri Lanka�s economic situation. It reported that long queues have formed outside stores in SL due to a shortage of milk powder, kerosene oil, and cooking gas. Soon after this, the Govt, in a media statement issued on 4 Sept by Dept of Govt Information (DGI) Director General Mohan Samaranayake, more..

Sep 8 (GV) �Tiny, invisible particles of pollution penetrate deep into our lungs, bloodstream and bodies. These pollutants are responsible for about one-third of deaths from stroke, chronic respiratory disease, and lung cancer, as well as one quarter of deaths from heart attack. Ground-level ozone, produced from the interaction of many different pollutants in sunlight, is also a cause of asthma and chronic respiratory illnesses. �Short-lived climate pollutants are among those pollutants more..

Sep 8 (SO) As the news of daily deaths and more Covid cases dominate the media, health and human security is not the only news that is being reported in this country. While the teachers� protest is being contained in Colombo, another protest has erupted in Polonnaruwa against Govt plans to build a walking track around the Parakrama Samudra. Images appeared in the media of the way the tank�s breakwater was being more..

Sep 8 (Island) One of the few things the incumbent govt can justifiably pride itself on as an achievement is the country�s successful vaccination programme. The national inoculation drive is progressing smoothly so much so that it has received encomia from the WHO itself. (The Opposition, however, has chosen to ignore this for obvious reasons!) The govt is in the habit of adding a smidgeon of cow dung to its pot of milk, as a local saying goes. It allows politics to spoil its good projects. more..

Sep 8 (CT) Thank you, honorable deputy chairman of committees for this opportunity to speak a few words on this occasion, particularly when the new finance minister is present and attentively listening to all the comments that are being made on the floor of this house. Before I get to the subject matter I wish to place a request to the honorable minister of finance, there is an urgent need for electric gas chambers for crematorium in the several districts in the North and East. more..

Sep 8 (Island) Yes, it�s an irreparable loss to the showbiz world � the demise of singer/entertainer/ showman/composer Sunil Perera. His death, last morning (06), came as a terrible shock to the whole of SL�and the world over, who loved this wonderful entertainer. True, Sunil was down with the Covid virus and spent many days, in hospital, but when he, eventually, got home, there was happiness all around, and everyone was looking forward to seeing Sunil make a quick recovery. more..

Sep 8 (CI) 16 - Wickets for the spinners in the third ODI - eight each for South Africa and Sri Lanka. Only once spinners have claimed more wickets in an ODI - 19 during the 2011 Bangladesh vs Pakistan match in Chattogram. 4 - Maheesh Theekshana became the fourth Sri Lankan bowler to take a wicket with his first ball in ODI cricket. Charitha Buddhika (vs Zimbabwe in 2001), Kaushal Lokuarachchi (vs Kenya in 2003) and Thilan Thushara (vs WI in 2008) are the other three. more..

Sep 8 (ST) A heavy hitter in the stock market game and currently rocking the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) is being probed by the capital market regulator. Business Times learns from highly placed sources in capital market that these investigations were started a few weeks ago when certain stocks recommended by him on social media sites started soaring in price for no apparent reason. His social media accounts are being monitored, more..

Sep 8 (TM) The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has by circular dated 2 Sept announced that Huejay Int'l Investments PLC shall be delisted from the official list of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) with effect from 6 September 2020 under rule 4(2) of SEC rules contained in gazette extraordinary No. 1215/2 of 8 Dec 2001. Huejay Int'l Investments PLC was incorporated on 21 July 2008 and has its registered office and principal place of business at No. 32, Sir Mohamed Macan more..

Sep 8 (Island) In a view to educate the public, the Chamber Academy, the knowledge arm of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will be organizing a timely discussion on the topic of COVID-19 and the way forward. The discussion will take a glimpse of the future with COVID-19 and facing challenges at home and work. In addition, the panel will discuss about the vaccines and medical supplies as well as practical issues and preparing for the future. The expert panel will be represented by more..

Sep 8 (CI) On by far the most spin-friendly surface seen in this series, SL's inexperienced spin attack bamboozled South Africa, leading the hosts to 78-run victory that sealed SL's first ODI series win since February 2020. Maheesh Theekshana, the 21-year-old allsorts right-arm spinner, was a revelation. He took 4 for 37, which is a record for a SL spinner on debut. South Africa's batters struggled to pick his carrom balls, more..

Sep 8 (SO) Sri Lanka will be competing at the Asia-Oceania Group 3 Davis tournament featuring nine countries in Jordan from Sept 15 to 18 with a new-look team. Missing in the line-up will be veterans Harshana Godamanna and Sharmal Dissanayake who are unavailable. The four-member SL squad comprises Yasitha de Silva, Thehan Wijemanne, Vibuda Wijebandara and Chathurya Nilaweera while former Davis Cup star Renouk Wijemanne is the non-playing captain and coach of the side. more..

Sep 8 (CT) Dunith Wellalage, Shevon Daniel and Sadeesh Jayawardene from St. Joseph�s have been picked by the cricket selectors for the upcoming youth cricket tours, including next year�s ICC Youth World Cup. Dunith Wellalage: SL youth cap, left-hand middle order batsman and left arm leg-spinner, the allrounder led St. Joseph�s to be champions of the Under-19 Division One Tier �A� inter Schools Limited Overs Cricket tournament 2021 season conducted by SL Schools Cricket Association. more..

Sep 8 (FT) Forex and capital markets were rattled yesterday, leaving the private sector confused and concerned, after the Central Bank unofficially pegged the rupee to the dollar at a fixed rate. The fixed rate of the dollar and reasons for the move were conveyed by CB Governor Prof. W.D. Lakshman to all bank CEOs in writing. �As responsible members of the financial community of this country, I most categorically require and more..

Sep 8 (FT) The Govt is to enhance rural development by setting up a Mahaweli Special Economic Zone covering the four Districts of Kurunegala, Puttalam, Anuradhapura and Matale. The Cabinet of Ministers at its meeting on Monday approved a resolution submitted by the Minister of Irrigation to establish the Mahaweli Special Economic Zone by declaring the geographical area comprising 410 Grama Niladhari divisions covering 26 DS Divisions in the four districts. more..

Sep 8 (DN) For the first time in SL history the second hand automobile car prices have hit an all-time high and this is artificially created by a few individuals using the temporary import restrictions as a tool. Second hand vehicle prices have shot up by almost 70%. General Secretary and Founder Director Automotive Values Association of SL Isuru Senaratne said that a similar price hike was witnessed in the 1971 era where prices of popular vehicles such as Volkswagen more..

Sep 8 (TM) The SL rupee (LKR) has depreciated overnight on Tuesday (7) against major currencies, despite a US dollar (USD) influx the country�s official foreign exchange reserves received a few days ago. As per the licensed commercial banks� (LCBs) rate, all foreign currencies � sterling pound (GBP), euro (EUR), Japanese yen (JPY), renminbi (CNY), and Australian dollar (AUD) � have appreciated against the LKR, more..

Sep 8 (SO) Three golfers including a woman have been invited to participate in the Asia Pacific golf Championships to be held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively in November. The men�s championship will be held in Dubai from November 1 to 5 while the women�s championship will be held in Abu Dhabi from November 7 to 14. The two men golfers are Vinod Weerasinghe and MU Chanaka Perera while the woman golfer will be Tania Balasuriya who have won in local tournaments consistently and more..

Sep 8 (CT) SL police and army are still abducting, torturing and raping young Tamils just for taking part in commemoration events, anti-govt protests or receiving funds from abroad, said the Int'l Truth and Justice Project in a new report launched for the September session of the UNHRC in Geneva. �Ongoing torture by the security forces needs to be top of the int'l community�s agenda when discussing Sri Lanka in Geneva � it�s not enough to say families of the disappeared are being harassed,� more..

Sep 8 (FT) Daily COVID-19 detections dropped below 3,000 yesterday, with 2,964 persons testing positive for COVID-19. Daily detections have remained above 3,000 since 10 Aug, when 2,922 COVID-19 patients were detected. The Epidemiology Unit adds that 2,950 delayed cases reported between 1 Sept and 5 Sept have been added to the total count after verification. The patients detected yesterday include 2,960 more..

Sep 8 (FT) SL�s COVID-19 immunisation program has thus far administered the first dose of a vaccine to 12,823,147 persons and the second dose to 9,414,851 persons, which includes the 320,283 persons vaccinated on Monday. Vaccination of the 20 to 29 age group is currently being carried out with the first dose of a vaccine administered to 29.3% of the target population and the second dose administered to 12.1% of the target population. First dose coverage in the 20 to 29 age group more..

Sep 8 (CT) High Commissioner-designate of SL to India Milinda Moragoda handed over his documents to the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in New Delhi and is waiting for appointment to present his Letters of Credence to the President of India Ram Nath Kovind, according to the SL Mission in New Delhi. Although there is a delay, the High Commissioner is actively functioning in his office, the official attached to the Mission said. Minister of Foreign Affairs in India is working on getting an appointment more..

Sep 8 (TM) Govt aims to complete the Covid-19 vaccination programme for all those between the ages of 20 and 30 years within the next six weeks, State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana announced. SL has over 3.3 million people in this age category and as at yesterday 39.91% of them, or over 1.3 million, had been provided the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to official vaccination data. more..

Sep 8 (Island) Minister Rear Admiral (Retd) Sarath Weerasekera told Parliament that the govt was duty bound to look after the people and that it would not hesitate to bring in any laws necessary for that purpose. Participating in the debate on the Presidential proclamation to declare an emergency, Minister said that food security was an integral part of national security, and therefore the govt would bring all necessary laws or enact any existing laws to achieve that objective. more..

Sep 8 (FT) The Govt yesterday admitted that there had been discrepancies with regards to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) data system, which is embroiled in one of the biggest controversies. �There is a clear mismatch in the data collected in the system for medicines and other related equipment. Although there is an input of data, there was hardly any output. The company had failed to evaluate and submit recommendations based on the data they collected from 2018,� more..

Sep 8 (TM) Ahead of the upcoming UNHRC session, 5 constituent Parties of the TPA, Led by TMTK MP C.V. Wigneswaran has written to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet regarding the recent emergency regulations declared by the Govt of SL to cope with the supply of essential food items. �The state of emergency declared by the GoSL invoking the provisions of the Public Security Ordinance, more..

Sep 8 (CT) JJB Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, said in Parliament if the Govt really wants to solve the economic crisis in the country, they should change the corrupt political culture. �Although many Govt MPs and ministers repeatedly said there is no problem in the country and the economy is functioning smoothly, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa accepted there is a problem in revenue generation and several economic woes. He even provided their plan to solve those issues. more..

Sep 8 (CT) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa claimed the Govt is paving the way for Crony Capitalism by providing concessions to some multi-millionaires and racketeers. Premadasa, expressing his views on the Finance Bill, stated instead of taking action to resolve the current financial crisis in the country, Govt has resorted to a practice of facilitating money laundering in favour of racketeers. �If anyone is hiding without paying taxes, Govt should enforce the law against them as more..

Sep 8 (Island) The Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) said that the govt decision to use the Pfizer vaccine to immunise people in 20-30 age group in Hambantota was irrational and unscientific. AMS President Dr. Lakkumar Fernando said, in a statement, that the priority should be given to saving lives, and reducing hospitalisation of Covid-19 patients. �For this purpose, we need to initially immunise the vulnerable, more..

Sep 8 (EN) A tremor that measured 2.8 on the Richter scale recorded at 10.38 am in Lunugamwerehera in the deep south of Sri Lanka is attributed to an earthquake that occurred in Sumatra, Indonesia, at the same time, a top scientist said. An earthquake in Florous � Sumatra- Indonesia � 10km underground that measured 3.3 on the Richter scale was recorded around the same time as the tremor in SL, according to Prof Athula Senaratne, head of the Dept of Geology at more..

Sep 8 (DM) PM Rajapaksa and Foreign Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. pieris will brief the Vatican on the progress made in connection with the legal action taken against the suspects involved in the Easter Sunday carnage, Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said. PM was expected to do so during the scheduled visit to the Vatican shortly, he said. He told the post cabinet virtual news briefing last morning in response to a journalist, stating that the main objective of the visit to Italy by PM more..

Sep 8 (EN) Sri Lanka is facing severe external crisis as well as a domestic crisis with revenues falling and expenses continuing to rise, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa said, amid Coronavirus pandemic and unprecedented money printing which has triggered a plethora of economic controls. �Our country is facing a severe foreign exchange crisis,� Minister Rajapaksa told the parliament in his debut speech on Tuesday. more..

Sep 8 (FT) Amidst the doom and gloom of COVID-19, taking timely decisions based on scientific data available is crucial. Having a holistic picture with multiple implications of decisions in mind is equally important. The tension arises in reaching consensus without critical analysis where a group of decision makers might end up showing groupthink in action. Let us discuss the details in relation to the current context of combatting a contagion. When everyone unanimously agrees to something and more..

Sep 8 (FT) In pre COVID-19 SL, very few worked from home (WFH). However, since the outbreak of the pandemic, WFH has become a norm. Organisations are striving to ensure safe and healthy working from home conditions. Even though, ergonomic workstations and chairs may be available at office, their unavailability at home can lead to development of adverse health effects. WFH intensifies the vulnerability to musculoskeletal discomfort due to poor work practices and more..